Sorry to follow you off topic, but what happened before the penalty area? Where could the keeper handle the ball?

Trying to find that out - I have a feeling it was anywhere on the field for a time but that he was the only player who could do this. The first goals appear not to have had crossbars either.

Anyway, I now have dates for a couple of other things soccer-wise: offside in its modern form came into being but with three players not two in 1866 before being revised down to two in 1925; penalty kicks were introduced in 1891. The only change to the rules since 1925 has been the introduction of substitutes and outlawing a deliberate backpass to the goalkeeper.

I was in Greece when they did the screening, I was well p!$$ed off at missing it.

In the Mitchell and Kenyon TV series I think they showed an NU game and a Man U (or whatever they were called then) game, there was no ###### watching the soccer but the rugby was packed.

They were called Manchester United. They had changed names from Newton Heath that year 1901. My claim to fame is that my Grandfather Jack Banks played for them and is shown in the film. He was bought from WBA, played 34 times and scored 1 goal before being transferred to Plymouth Argyle in 1903

Trying to find that out - I have a feeling it was anywhere on the field for a time but that he was the only player who could do this. The first goals appear not to have had crossbars either.

In 1866 Association changed the rules so that a goal was scored by the ball passing under the crossbar, a bit difficult with no crossbar, where there wasn't a cross bar a tape was tied between the goal posts at the correct height.

Sorry to follow you off topic, but what happened before the penalty area? Where could the keeper handle the ball?

Goalkeepers were allowed to handle the ball anywhere in his own half up to a rule change in 1912. The rule change came about to stop Sunderland's tactic of having their keeper pick up the ball and run with it up to the halfway line.

He was a Welshman called Leigh Richmond Roose and he was one of those people who had an extraordinary life. On the pitch he was famous for his robust style of tackling players, his habit of running up the pitch with the ball and his remarkable agility. At the time he was considered a player to match the great "Fatty" Foulkes. Off the pitch he was something of an eccentric and got into many bizarre scrapes.

Sadly, he was killed at the Somme.

There's a fascinating book on the development of football tactics called "Inverting the Pyramid". The first half is required reading for anyone interested in the development of sport in Edwardian times.

I do a lot of digging about into this era and I believe that the game changed very fundamentally in or around 1910 and became something much closer to the game as it was played until limited tackle rules came in. This film predates that shift.

Incidentally, I believe the move behind that shift was Harold Wagstaff's Huddersfield's team who I think were so successful not because they played the game better than everyone else but because they played the game in a fundamentally different way to everyone else. I think Wagstaff should be looked upon as the founder of the modern game and thought of as Rugby League's own WG Grace.

I do a lot of digging about into this era and I believe that the game changed very fundamentally in or around 1910 and became something much closer to the game as it was played until limited tackle rules came in. This film predates that shift.

Incidentally, I believe the move behind that shift was Harold Wagstaff's Huddersfield's team who I think were so successful not because they played the game better than everyone else but because they played the game in a fundamentally different way to everyone else. I think Wagstaff should be looked upon as the founder of the modern game and thought of as Rugby League's own WG Grace.

There are a few noteable changes in just a few years around then, 1906 sees 13 players and the PTB iintroduced, 1911 saw two halves of 40 minutes introduced. However probably more significant in how the game was played and perceived was the change in Law 1 in 1908. A simple rewording put the emphasis of the game on scoring tries rather than kicking goals. Huddersfield it would appear understood this rule change very well and led by Wagstaff exploited it to the full.

There are a few noteable changes in just a few years around then, 1906 sees 13 players and the PTB iintroduced, 1911 saw two halves of 40 minutes introduced. However probably more significant in how the game was played and perceived was the change in Law 1 in 1908. A simple rewording put the emphasis of the game on scoring tries rather than kicking goals. Huddersfield it would appear understood this rule change very well and led by Wagstaff exploited it to the full.

I think that is precisely what happened. They were quickest to understand what the new rules could mean.